All events must be completely non-profit with a designated charitable purpose. This, I believe, means not even the pseudo "non-profit" status of paying yourself a salary as part of operating costs and then anything leftover goes to the charitable purpose. Events also cannot be "races" with prizes and such- just charity rides, maybe with door prizes.

That does not exactly encouarage promoters who put on races for a business or racers who like to compete.

That said, although I am defintely not the most up-to-date on these kind of things these days, I think PAS is having the Save the Trails challenge again as a non-profit, strictly fund-raising event. Click on the website in my signature for more info, if it does exist- I am really not certain.

All events must be completely non-profit with a designated charitable purpose. This, I believe, means not even the pseudo "non-profit" status of paying yourself a salary as part of operating costs and then anything leftover goes to the charitable purpose. Events also cannot be "races" with prizes and such- just charity rides, maybe with door prizes.

Again, because those foot races or duathlons or whatevers are fund-raisers for charities, not for-profit events. For example, the Du the Asheville Du duathlon is a fundraiser for OpenDoors of Asheville. PAS does have the Save the Trails challenge fund-raiser. Races are money making ventures, which is not endorsed by DuPont management.
How that sits with letting movie companies pay to use the land or tour companies related to the movies selling tours, I have no idea. If I was a promoter trying to put on a for-profit event at DuPont, I would challenge that discrepancy.

Again, because those foot races or duathlons or whatevers are fund-raisers for charities, not for-profit events. For example, the Du the Asheville Du duathlon is a fundraiser for OpenDoors of Asheville. PAS does have the Save the Trails challenge fund-raiser.

The foot races are billed as races. The Morris Broadband Half Marathon is a race. I don't know if it is a fund raiser or not, but do know that it is very much an official race. If all it takes is to be a race is to be a fund raiser than the Save the Trails Challenge should be able to be a race....

Races are money making ventures, which is not endorsed by DuPont management.

I'm not sure my definition of what makes something a race includes a money making side. I don't think the Tour Divide is a money making venture and that is a very much a race. And the Save the Trails Challenge is very much a money making venture. It is making money for a non-profit, but is still making money.

How that sits with letting movie companies pay to use the land or tour companies related to the movies selling tours, I have no idea. If I was a promoter trying to put on a for-profit event at DuPont, I would challenge that discrepancy.

Independent companies get special use permits which they have to pay for and qualify for. If I was a mtb race promoter trying to have a race at Dupont I would be trying to get a special use permit.

I have a hunch that the reason why there are no mtb races at Dupont is because some mountain bikers don't like races as evidenced in the recent race thread.

Call it profit-making rather than money-making if you want to mince words. I know from direct experience with Enduro Adventures (promoter of the 24 Hours of Pisgah race) that the potential for making a profit was not an option for the race organizer, although that was several years ago.
You're right about the foot races/ duathalon being races with results, though; I wonder if they gave prizes of value too?

Not that this is the reason but honestly DuPont because of it's traffic is not really the best place for a race. I love riding there, but it is just too busy for a race and shutting the trails down for racers only is just not really feasible.

Not that this is the reason but honestly DuPont because of it's traffic is not really the best place for a race. I love riding there, but it is just too busy for a race and shutting the trails down for racers only is just not really feasible.

Agreed, although trails around Raleigh do get shutdown for races from time-to-time.

Agreed, although trails around Raleigh do get shutdown for races from time-to-time.

Trails around here do too. However, they don't have nearly the visitors that DuPont does and usually involve loops (such as Tsali). There are no "loops" in DuPont, just a series of trails that connect back to the main road in which you can create a loop.

Call it profit-making rather than money-making if you want to mince words. I know from direct experience with Enduro Adventures (promoter of the 24 Hours of Pisgah race) that the potential for making a profit was not an option for the race organizer, although that was several years ago.
You're right about the foot races/ duathalon being races with results, though; I wonder if they gave prizes of value too?

Yes, the top 3 finishers overall and top 3 in all age groups get prizes at the Morris Broadband Half Marathon. Here is the poster for the race:

It is interesting that there is no mention of charity or non-profit anywhere on the poster, or anywhere else for that matter . Since it is put on by Fletcher Parks I'll assume it is a fund raiser but there is no mention of that. And with the race named after their big corporate sponsor it sounds a lot like every other for profit running race out there.

I'm still guessing there are more reasons why there are no bike races in Dupont than just a non-profit requirement

It always cracks me up when things like this are debated. There is this really crazy device called a telephone, I've heard most of the kinks have been worked out of this technology and it works quite well. The numbers of the staff are clearly listed and available to the public. If you really want to know, why don't you call and report back here rather than all the speculation.

Not that this is the reason but honestly DuPont because of it's traffic is not really the best place for a race. I love riding there, but it is just too busy for a race and shutting the trails down for racers only is just not really feasible.

Ding Ding Ding, we have a winner. There are no mtn bike races (yes, there are foot races) because the DuPont Advisory Committee (which I have served on for 6 years) decided the use conflict and trail impact from a mtn bike race would be too high. There are also no race events such as endurance rides for horses for the same reason. I fully supported the decision at that time and still do.

I have to agree. Would I like to be able to race there? Sure, I like the trails and know them well. However, I also know it just isn't reasonable to have a mountain bike race there.

Is that really true...? What about a race that started late evening ~6:00 PM? A race is still viable in Dupont in my opinion, if there is a will there is a way to make it work. Again, I think it begins with starting a conversation, having a solid plan that behooves both parties. "Because some people think it should or shouldn't be" is never a valid answer to me. There is always a way around problems/issues.

We were approached by a group that wanted to host an endurance ride in DuPont, the Advisory Committee recommended against it and forest management said no special use permit for such an equestrian event. While Pres. of Trail Dynamics, we cleaned up the enormous mess left behind by an endurance ride on the Biltmore Estate several times. The impact was huge.

Is that really true...? What about a race that started late evening ~6:00 PM? A race is still viable in Dupont in my opinion, if there is a will there is a way to make it work. Again, I think it begins with starting a conversation, having a solid plan that behooves both parties. "Because some people think it should or shouldn't be" is never a valid answer to me. There is always a way around problems/issues.

Ok, sure you could jump hurdles left and right but I said reasonable, not impossible.
I suppose reasonable is a matter of interpretation. I don't think a race starting at 6 pm is reasonable but you probably do.

I think there are some things that could be done there that are "race like" where you could have around 100 riders with very little impact in the forest and hardly be noticed.

The "Tobacco - Free - For - Life" ride was as close to a race at Dupont that I can remember, it also qualified as a non-profit since proceeds went to the Pardee Hospital System.
Great memories of those rides...

Ok, sure you could jump hurdles left and right but I said reasonable, not impossible. I suppose reasonable is a matter of interpretation. I don't think a race starting at 6 pm is reasonable but you probably do. I think there are some things that could be done there that are "race like" where you could have around 100 riders with very little impact in the forest and hardly be noticed.

Ask anyone who has put on a race before on public lands, hurdles are the nature of the game. Work with the land manager and they will work with you. Its all about establishing a relationship. It may not sound reasonable to start a race at 6PM to you but maybe if I were a race promoter I wouldn't want "your kind" at my race then. <-- you should sense some sarcasm there.I have always thought a neat format in Dupont would be a "checkpoint" style race that started in the evening and finished the following morning. A "12 hour checkpoint" race of sorts. Everyone knows riding Dupont is better at night anyway. Woody stated the reason they advised "no" in the past was "user conflict" not impact. If you have a race at night, you have limited user conflct.